caliph
or ca·lif
a spiritual leader of Islam, claiming succession from Muhammad.
any of the former Muslim rulers of Baghdad (until 1258) and of the Ottoman Empire (from 1571 until 1924).
Origin of caliph
1- Also ka·lif, ka·liph; kha·lif [kuh-leef, key-lif, kal-if], /kəˈlif, ˈkeɪ lɪf, ˈkæl ɪf/, kha·li·fa [kuh-lee-fuh] /kəˈli fə/ .
Other words from caliph
- cal·iph·al [kal-uh-fuhl, key-luh-], /ˈkæl ə fəl, ˈkeɪ lə-/, adjective
Words Nearby caliph
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use caliph in a sentence
One of Al-Nayrīzī’s treatises for the caliph discussed how to determine the distance to upright objects.
When ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the False caliph of Raqqa, announced the creation of the Islamic State, he was declaring war not only against the United States and its allies, but also against al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Why ISIS Attacked the Kabul Airport—and What’s Coming Next | Dennis Murphy | August 27, 2021 | The Daily BeastAlready in 2012, people were living as if Baghdadi was the caliph.
Islamist Terrorism Is Not Done With Us, Warns Former al Qaeda Hostage Theo Padnos | Karl Vick | February 25, 2021 | Time“This is my advice to you,” said the self-proclaimed caliph.
The caliph is just playing a role for his time,” says Abu Mustafa, “then we will be done with him.
The new caliph, “Ibrahim,” thoroughly looks the part of a super-villain, and his initial statements exactly fit the bill.
Baghdad officials claimed the self-proclaimed caliph was wounded in an air strike days earlier.
The Terrorist Caliph as Nation Builder in Iraq, Syria, and Beyond | Jamie Dettmer | July 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe became the astronomer and physician of the caliph Motadhid.
Old-Time Makers of Medicine | James J. WalshI went immediately to wait upon the caliph, and gave him an account of my embassy.
The Arabian Nights | UnknownA similar temper was diffused among the subjects of the caliph.
The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire | Edward GibbonThe word caliph means the vicar or the successor of the Prophet.
The Contemporary Review, January 1883 | VariousIf they prefer to continue to recognize the Sultan as caliph, they should be free to do so.
The Contemporary Review, January 1883 | Various
British Dictionary definitions for caliph
calif, kalif or khalif
/ (ˈkeɪlɪf, ˈkæl-) /
Islam the title of the successors of Mohammed as rulers of the Islamic world, later assumed by the Sultans of Turkey
Origin of caliph
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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